1 Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia:
Some believe this is Egypt, but the next chapter addresses them. Ethiopia is just south of Egypt.
The “rivers of Ethiopia” are the head waters of the Nile. The land beyond the rivers of Ethiopia on a map? Going from Israel, that would be either south/eastern Africa or, going east from Ethiopia across the Nile and the Red Sea, Arabia.
However, at least today, Arabia has few rivers. Easter Africa has many.
2 That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, saying, “Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled!”
“2 which sends envoys by sea
in papyrus boats over the water.
Go, swift messengers,
to a people tall and smooth-skinned,
to a people feared far and wide,
an aggressive nation of strange speech,
whose land is divided by rivers.” NLT
Not sure those translations are even saying the same thing.
Anyway, they would be talking about someone sending ambassadors to Babylon, located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, right on the gulf of Aqaba.
The method of travel- bulrush boats- would fit well with this being Arabia or East Africa. Sailing up the Gulf of Aqaba in that type of boat would be no big deal. Sailing to Babylon from Egypt would be much more difficult, and it would probably make more sense to travel over land.
3 All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifts up an ensign on the mountains; and when he blows a trumpet, hear ye.
4 For so the LORD said unto me, "I will take My rest, and I will consider in My dwelling place like a clear heat upon herbs, and like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest."
A cloud of dew in the heat of harvest would be refreshing.
5 For afore the harvest, when the bud is perfect, and the sour grape is ripening in the flower, he shall both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks, and take away and cut down the branches.
6 They shall be left together unto the fowls of the mountains, and to the beasts of the earth: and the fowls shall summer upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them.
The land will be wasted and left to the (non) mercies of the scavengers.
7 In that time shall the present be brought unto the LORD of hosts of a people scattered and peeled, and from a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden under foot, whose land the rivers have spoiled, to the place of the name of the LORD of hosts, the mount Zion.
“People scattered” means “people from far away.”
“Peeled” means “smooth skinned.”
“The rivers have spoiled” means “divided by rivers” according to other translations.
In the start of the chapter, gifts and messages are being sent to this smooth-skinned people. In verse 7, the smooth-skinned people are sending gifts to Jerusalem. This is likely the gifts Babylon sent to Hezekiah after they heard he had been sick.